Nicole Richie’s 18-year-old daughter, Kate Madden, has gotten a matching tattoo with her mother – a small angel wing inked onto her spine. The tattoo was revealed in a recent Instagram post, where Kate shared a photo of herself in a gold dress, captioned with a butterfly emoji.
Fans immediately recognized the design as identical to one Richie herself has sported for years. The timing or original reason for either tattoo remains unknown, though speculation suggests Richie got hers in the late 2000s. Regardless, the matching ink marks a clear moment of shared style between the two.
Richie and husband Joel Madden began dating in 2006 and married in 2010. They have two children: Kate (born Harlow Madden in 2008) and son Sparrow, born in 2009. While the family has traditionally kept their children relatively private, Richie has spoken about the changing cultural acceptance of honest motherhood.
“I know my mom didn’t have that,” Richie told People magazine. “Women are no longer ashamed to say, ‘Oh, this is so hard! I’m worried I’m not doing a good job.’ Women are supporting each other in that space, which I think is so awesome.”
The matching tattoo suggests a deepening bond between mother and daughter, as well as a willingness to embrace shared expressions of identity. It’s a small gesture with outsized significance: a permanent mark of connection across generations.
